


We Are All Dangerous

by Kaetien SaDiablo (Shadowcat), random_chick



Category: Black Jewels - Anne Bishop
Genre: Gen, Multi, OC Female, OC Male
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-05
Updated: 2010-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Kaetien%20SaDiablo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/random_chick/pseuds/random_chick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an enemy of the SaDiablo family kidnaps Kaetien and Jaera, they start to realize that they've made more than one very big mistake. The job wasn't fully explained to them and now they're trying to run a safe place to keep themselves alive after realizing just who Kaetien's parents are and what will happen to them. Meanwhile, Kaetien and Jaera are managing to get some revenge of their own thrown in the longer they are captives. They're not just going to sit and wait to be rescued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are All Dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the LadiesBigBang challenge 2010.

It was a day that should have been full of relaxation and fun. It was how it had started out, after all. There was no reason for the three girls to think it would turn out to be anything other than what they had planned. It was why they had slipped away from the boyos and the kindred guardians and headed to the hidden river that they believed they had been the first to discover. They only had to grab a Rose wind to get to where they were going, so it never occurred to them that there could be any problems to arise for them today.

If other members of the Coven had been available or had come, perhaps the day would have gone quite a bit differently than it had. However, when they had asked, Kaetien and Jaera had only been accompanied by Caelan.

The three witches were carelessly playing and swimming in the water when the attack happened.

It was Kaetien that sensed something was wrong first while she was beneath the water, and she swam to the surface of the water, screaming to her companions on a distaff thread. _*Jaera! Caelan! SHIELD!*_ She broke through the surface of the water in time to see her cousin get thrown back by a burst of power and when she didn't get up from the ground, Kaetien was scrambling to the bank to check on her.

The burst of power that hit her, spun her around and she looked to see her best friend fighting with two strange males. She didn't understand what was happening and then she lost sense of things going on around her as she was hit by another burst of Green power.

Later, her mother would explain to her that it was her fear for Jaera and Caelan that caused the attacks of the Green to overwhelm her. However, as she felt herself falling back into the water, all she could think was that she had failed with her Craft somehow.

 

***

 

Waking up, Caelan wasn't sure what had happened at first. Pushing herself up from the ground, she tasted blood in her mouth and the memories came rushing back.

She had been laughing on the bank of the river while Kaetien and Jaera tested themselves to see how long they could stay on the river's bottom. Jaera had started surfacing when the strange males had suddenly arrived from the trees and started attacking. When she heard Kaetien's call, she had turned, seeing her cousin beginning to surface. The problem with that was one of the males had started to fire a bolt of power at her. Not wanting to see her helpless cousin hurt, Caelan had run, throwing herself between the bolt of power and the other witch.

Her head was pounding as she looked around the area where the fighting had occurred. There was no sign of her two friends and Sisters.

 _*Kaetien?*_ She called on a Green distaff thread. _*Jaera?*_ She waited for a few moments and then called again.

When she still received no answer, Caelan felt fear and worry washing through her. She had to get to the Hall. She had to alert her aunt and their covens. Someone had taken Kaetien and Jaera.

 

***

 

The fear and sheer terror running through Caelan's mind could be picked up by every member of the family as soon as she came through the door. As a result, there were two Eyrien warriors rushing to greet her before she'd covered more than half a dozen steps -- and oh, yes, Daemonar and his White-jeweled little sister both very much counted.

"What happened?" Daemonar asked roughly, seeing the fear in Caelan's eyes but not much caring at the moment. Something had happened to Kaetien, he knew that much. Once he knew what that something was, he would allow himself to regret the mistreatment of her cousin.

"I... we..." Caelan was in a state of near-hyperventilation, and the intimidating presence provided by both Daemonar and Tirian wasn't helping matters any. But she'd had enough training from their father that after a couple more moments of internal panic, there was a mental click of sorts when everything fell aside and the fear receded to a level where she was able to give a proper report.

"We went swimming in the river," she began. "It was just me, Jaera, and Kaetien, so we must have looked like easy pickings, because we were attacked."

" _What_?" Daemonar's voice had officially hit scary in volume.

Cringing back slightly, Caelan continued, "We were attacked. Kaetien realized something was not right first and warned us. But she was surfacing, so she couldn't see the bolt of power that one of the men had thrown at her. It would have hit her. I... I threw myself between her and it."

Daemonar didn't know whether to rage at her or... well, to rage at her for something else. "Why didn't they take you, too?"

"I don't know," Caelan said. "All I can figure is, I was unconscious so they must have thought I was dead. And they must have wanted us alive -- or at least wanted Kaetien and Jaera alive." The other two girls were the daughters of Queens, while she was just the niece of a Queen. She wouldn't have as much worth as the other two would in terms of being a bargaining chip... aside from that whole thing where family was family no matter what.

Daemonar frowned, for the moment ignoring the urge to snarl. "You need to tell Aunt Jaenelle about this, now," he said. "I'll start gathering the others."

All Caelan could do was stare as Daemonar went off to alert the others. "He didn't yell at me," she said, surprised. "Why didn't he yell?"

"Because he's terrified of losing the woman he loves," Tirian said, putting a comforting hand on Caelan's arm.

"Isn't that why he would yell at me?"

"No, because you had an equal hand in the three of you being there," the other girl said with a faint smile. "He'll wait until we have the other two back and then he'll yell at all three of you at once."

Somehow, that did little to reassure Caelan.

"You really threw yourself between Kaetien and an attack from a male?" Tirian asked gently, trying to get Caelan to relax as they went to find the rest of the females of the family.

Caelan nodded. "She was in the water and I was afraid if it hit her it would cause her to drown."

"Papa and Uncle Daemon and the Boyos in Aunt Jaenelle's Circle will yell and fuss about that." Tirian shook her head. "But from what we've heard about when they were young, Mama and the Coven won't yell too much. You did what any of them would have done."

"But I didn't stop them from being taken!" Caelan almost wailed.

Tirian stopped and pulled Caelan to a stop, as well. "You were outnumbered and you didn't know how many males were there. The family's first rule has always been not to get yourself killed. You didn't and you made sure that our next Queen of Ebon Askavi didn't get killed. You did just as much as one of the boyos would have done, cousin. Possibly more. You stayed alive to alert us." She grabbed Caelan's forearms gently and shook her a little bit. "We will find our Sisters, Caelan, don't doubt that. You did what an Eyrien would have done when you tried to protect Kaetien. We will find her and Jaera." She then gave her cousin a wicked smile. "Besides, do you really think that the kidnappers are going to have an easy time with those two as prisoners?"

"But they have no way of knowing that those males didn't kill me," Caelan whispered as the thought occurred to her.

At this, Tirian paled a little. "The may the Darkness be merciful to them, because if they think you're dead? Jaera and Kaetien won't show any mercy towards them."

"How do we know that they're still okay?"

"He knows." Tirian jerked her chin in the direction her brother had disappeared in as her wings rustled. "Because if Kaetien were dead, he'd already be on the killing field, tearing everything and everyone in his sight apart -- family or no. Caelan, he wouldn't be riding the killing edge. If Kaetien was dead, he would be feral with no chance of stopping him."

 

***

 

When Kaetien opened her eyes, the first thing she was aware of was that she had a really bad headache. A really bad one. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time that her head was threatening to split open like this.

 _*Of course you do,*_ a familiar voice on a distaff thread said. _*It was when you thought Daemonar was in love with that useless Eyrien bitch and we got into Khardheen's latest stash of Gravedigger flasks he had made up for the boyos.*_

Kaetien turned to look for Jaera and that was when she became aware of a second thing.

She and her Sister were chained up to a wall. Not simply bound by ropes. No, they were _chained_ to a wall like wild animals. She could feel the cold rage building within her.

 _*Caelan? Have you seen Caelan?*_ Remembering that they had been attacked by the Green, Kaetien kept the distaff thread to a Sapphire.

 _*No,*_ Jaera responded. _*They didn't bring her with us and I haven't been able to reach her.*_

Kaetien went silent as she descended to the level of the Green to reach out to her cousin on a distaff thread. After a few moments where she didn't receive any response, her eyes started to glaze.

 _*Don't you dare, Kaetien. Not now, damn it! We need to focus and find out what in the Hell is going on and why we were kidnapped -- which we can't do if you go cold and rip into their minds.*_

 _*They may have killed Caelan.*_

Kaetien's mental voice was a croon that Jaera had once heard Uncle Daemon use when he was talking about those that had tried to hurt Aunt Jae. It caused Jaera to shudder and made her force even more strength into her mental voice.

 _*We don't know that, yet, Kaetien. If we find out that they did, well then, I'll help you make them pay. But first we have to find out what's going on and why we were grabbed. In order to do that, we --_ * We meaning Kaetien. _*-- have got to leash our tempers for now._ *

Kaetien was silent for so long that Jaera feared she had retreated too deep into the Abyss to listen to her. Then she heard her best friend say in a soft whisper. "I'm so thirsty."

Jaera's eyes widened at the pathetic tone of Kaetien's voice, and then had to smother a smile when she saw one of their captors venture closer. As he paid attention to Kaetien's act, Jaera made a detailed mental note of everything she could about him.

"So the SaDiablo sweetheart is finally awake, is she?" He said in a voice that would probably scare most females. But these girls belonged to Jaenelle and Karla. They didn't scare easily.

"I want to go home," Kaetien said, again in that tiny, fearful voice.

"Well see now, my little witch, that's not going to happen. We have a score to settle with the SaDiablo family, and you two are our way of doing it."

 _*What the hell?*_ Jaera demanded on a distaff thread. _*Score to settle? Do they have a death wish that badly that they want to challenge your parents?!*_ As much as she loved her Aunt Jaenelle and Uncle Daemon, they could be scary sometimes and she would never imagine that someone could be that stupid as to _purposefully_ do something that would make them draw the line to challenge the family.

"I've never seen you before in my life," Kaetien said, fearfully meeting the kidnapper's eyes, even as Jaera could feel the cold rage she was keeping under control. "How could you have a score to settle with my family? Things have been peaceful with the SaDiablos for years." _*It's not my parents that will end up making these men pay, and you know it.*_ The image of an enraged Daemonar was sent into her mind.

"You are the Lady Kaetien, daughter of Jaenelle Angelline and Daemon Sadi." The kidnapper said. "You're their most beloved jewel and the loss of which will break them with no chance of healing." His eyes flicked to Jaera. "I'm not sure who she is, though. My men were only supposed to grab you."

" _She_ ," Jaera said icily. "is Lady Jaera, of Glacia. Coven Sister to Kaetien and daughter of Karla, the Queen of Glacia." She watched as his eyes widened and he stumbled back, retreating to go talk to his men.

 _*He's afraid,*_ Kaetien sent on a distaff thread. _*He didn't count on pissing off both the former Queen of Ebon Askavi and the Queen of Glacia.*_

 _*No one believes Aunt Jae is the former anything.*_ Jaera sent back dryly.

 _*How do you imagine Witch is going to react to finding out that not only were her daughter and niece kidnapped, but that they were chained to a wall like vicious dogs?*_

 _*Witch would level them faster than anything.*_

 _*Exactly.*_ There was a certain tone to Kaetien's voice. Not smugness, but utter confidence in her mother.

Jaera grinned. _*I like the way you think,*_ she said, laughter in her mental voice now.

And that was when an idea occurred to her. _*If we feed enough of our power into the links of the chain, we could easily break them,*_ she said. _*And if we break them, we could catch the nearest wind and get out of here.*_

It was an easy plan, almost too easy. Something was almost bound to go wrong with it. But at the same time, it was the only option they had at the moment, since letting themselves stay captive was just not an option and neither was simply sitting back and waiting to be rescued. And so, even though she wasn't entirely sure it would work in the first place, Jaera started slowly feeding power into the links of the chains keeping her against the wall. She started at the White, because it was the weakest level and because if she fed too much of the strongest level of her power into it, they were entirely likely to end up with shards of chain in places that good girls didn't want shards of chain to ever go... or dead. And Jaera wasn't particularly fond of either of those options.

When she got out of these chains, she was going to _kill_ someone.

 

***

 

Caelan wasn't usually scared of the women in their family, but at the moment? She was a little on the terrified side, largely because she was afraid of what Aunt Jaenelle would say when she found out that her precious baby girl had been kidnapped and that Caelan had been there.

She and Tirian found the women of the family -- Marian, Jaenelle, and Wilhelmina -- in a heated but good-natured argument about... well, Caelan wasn't quite sure, given the way the three were squabbling and laughing, but she was pretty sure it involved the furniture that Jaenelle had attempted to pick out for Wilhelmina and Andrew's new house.

Before Caelan could let out a tearful sob, the three woman caught her psychic sent and turned towards her in varying degrees of their own brands of worry. It was Wilhelmina who moved to take her hysterical daughter and lead her over to a couch. "Tell us what's wrong, sweetheart," she said gently.

Caelan by now was unable to speak because of the sobs choking in her throat, so Tirian was the one to speak. "She was out with Kaetien and Jaera," she said. "They were swimming in a river and they got attacked."

That would be Karla and Jaenelle snarling; Caelan cringed slightly and tried to hide behind Tirian.

"One of the men tried to hit Kaetien with a bolt of the Green... and Caelan jumped in front of it. She got knocked out and when she came to, the other two were gone."

Karla snarled something that couldn't have been very complimentary but wasn't directed towards Caelan. "Were there any signs of the men when the three of you got there?" she asked.

Caelan shook her head, happy to have a question she _could_ answer. "No, there weren't. We all checked with our Birthright Jewels and nobody felt anything." As the ranking Jewel among them, Kaetien was the only one who truly would have needed to search, but the three girls had been raised to be as careful as possible. They largely ignored that, in the manner of most teenagers who were growing into themselves, except for when it came to the safety of their loved ones. When it came to that, the girls were as overprotective and overzealous as their adult family members could be and generally were.

"There wasn't really much going on when we got there," Caelan continued as Tirian squeezed her shoulder for encouragement. "It was quiet, but not unnaturally so. It was peaceful and that's why we went there."

Summoned on a distaff thread by Jaenelle, the rest of the original Coven swarmed into the room. After Gabrielle assured Wilhelmina and Jaenelle that Caelan would have no lasting damage, Jaenelle looked at her niece.

"Don't take on guilt that isn't yours to bear, witchling," she said in a gentle voice. "You did no more nor any less than a Coven sister or family member would do. You were there in a place that the three of you deemed safe." The raised eyebrow from her aunt told Caelan that there would be a great deal of discussion as to whether any of the girls in the younger Coven would ever be going there again. "When you realized that your cousin was in danger, you threw yourself between her and it, taking the strike upon yourself."

"You did well, Caelan," Karla said, the usual bite of her tone softening for her. "You acted on behalf of another and that is indeed what a good witch--" Morghann cleared her throat. "-- a good person should do."

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect them," Caelan whispered. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough."

Caelan never saw her move, but she was suddenly folded into the arms of Jaenelle and held closely. "The blame is not yours, little witch. You did nothing wrong. No one is angry with you, in fact, we are quite proud."

"You did for your Queen what any one of us would do for Jaenelle," Sabrina said with a gentle smile.

Jaenelle tilted her head, letting go of her niece. "Now, I believe that you and Tirian should go to the library."

"The library?" Tirian asked in confusion. "But why?"

"Because," Karla said with mischief in her eyes. "There are some boyos in there who are in prime fussing and petting mode."

The Eyrien witch blinked, shaking her head. "But I wasn't hurt, I wasn't even there! I don't need to go into that!"

This time, it was Kalush that laughed merrily. "Oh, Tirian, that doesn't matter. When boyos fuss over one witch, they have to fuss over all of the witches in their chosen Coven. That's just how it works."

Caelan reached for Tirian's hand. "You are _not_ sending me into that situation alone."

Feeling the waves of dark power that were starting to converge on the direction of the room, Jaenelle nodded. "If you go out through that door, you won't run into your Grandfather, Father, Uncle or Kaelas. All four of them seem dangerously close to the killing edge right now. They'll fuss worse than your boyos if they find you here." She gestured at a small side door.

The girls had barely gotten through the door when the High Lord of Hell, The Warlord Prince of Dhemlan, and the Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih entered the room. The girls knew them better as Saetan, Daemon and Lucivar. With them were Kaelas and Ladvarian, Jaenelle's almost constant Kindred companions. Following them were the rest of the Boyos.

"Daemonar?" Marian asked, her gentle voice breaking the stillness that the feel of all of their power in the same place had caused.

"We sent him off with the younger boyos to tend to their Coven," Lucivar said in a voice that was far too calm for the situation. It was the only clue Marian needed that her husband was balancing on a very thin line of control.

Feeling the room starting to grow cold, there was no need to look over at Daemon to know that the building cold rage was coming from him. Everyone else in the room went still, not knowing how this was going to play out. After all, it was his daughter that was missing. He was positively lethal when it came to protecting his family and the fact that his daughter was out there somewhere was something that everyone in the Court was very much aware of.

"Prince," Witch said in a tone that was calming with just enough command in it as she looked at him.

For a moment as glazed gold eyes locked with stormy midnight blue ones, the others in their room wondered if even a command from his Queen could get the Warlord Prince sometimes known as The Sadist to step back from the Killing Edge enough to work out what must be done. When Daemon finally gave a small tilt of his head to Jaenelle, and wrapped his arms around her to pull her back against him, the others in the room sighed with relief. Taking a deep breath so that she could settle herself as well, Jaenelle closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, they were a calm blue again.

Jaenelle looked at Saetan. "High Lord?"

"It seems that two of my granddaughters are missing and a third was hurt and scared out of her wits by the same men that took the others." He looked over at Wilhelmina who over the years had become just like another daughter to him. "Your child, Lady?"

Wilhelmina had spent a lot of time with this family and being instructed by Jaenelle and her Coven -- well, hers, too, now it seemed -- on how to deal with Warlords and Warlord Princes when they were close to going cold. You let them serve or you gave them a target to kill; and you stuck to Protocol as much as you were able to.

"She'll be all right, Uncle Saetan," Wilhelmina said soothingly. "Lady Gabrielle healed her of her injuries and she is now with her Coven and their Boyos. She was frightened, but they will take care of their sister."

 _*You are getting better with dealing with them like this,*_ Jaenelle said proudly on a distaff thread that was open to the women only.

 _*Once you see them trying to change the diapers of several babies all at once, they're kind of not as scary to me any more.*_ Wilhelmina's retort had enough tartness that it made all of the Coven members smile.

Jaenelle turned her attention to her brother, who also happened to be her Master of the Guard. "Prince, your report?"

"Prince Daemonar and Lady Tirian greeted Lady Caelan as she came to the Hall. They sensed her distress and got as much of a full report as they could get under the circumstances. It seems that Lady Caelan was with Ladies Kaetien and Jaera when they went to a new part of the river to swim." The tone of his voice said that he would be having a talk with the Ladies about safety when this was all over. "They were attacked by several strange men who were firing bolts of power at the ladies to overcome them. Lady Caelan was hurt when she put herself between her momentarily helpless Queen and the man who was firing a bolt of power at her. When she opened her eyes, the men and Ladies Kaetien and Jaera were missing. Lady Caelan came to the Hall, where Prince Daemonar came to alert the men of the Court and Lady Tirian took Lady Caelan to be tended to by the Queen and her Coven."

Formal. So formal. Everything done formally and with as careful attention to Protocol as was possible. Being formal and using Protocol would hopefully keep this from turning into a blood bath if all of the males in the Hall were as close to the killing edge as the men that made up Jaenelle's triangle were.

"Lady," Chaosti said carefully as he stepped up. "Prince Daemonar wanted to take a band of Eyrien warriors to search the area where the attack occurred, but Prince Kaelas and Lord Ladvarian disagreed with that idea."

"Oh?" Jaenelle said in puzzlement, as she turned to the two Kindred that had been her constant companions since she was younger. "Why is that?"

 _*The Kindred have better noses and eyes,*_ Ladvarian said logically. _*They also know their Craft and can sense what was used as well. The Kindred would be able to find even a covered trail whereas the humans can not because they have smaller noses.*_

"Hmmm." Jaenelle thought about this and then her eyes settled on Kaelas. "Lady Della has already left with KaeAskavi, Kaevidar and Gydarian, hasn't she?"

Kaelas nodded his large head. _*Yes, Lady. My son alerted Lady Della when he discovered that his Queen was in trouble. Lady Della summoned KaeAskavi and Gydarian to go with them to hunt the trail.*_

"And the Pack?"

 _*The wolves are guarding the younger coven,*_ Ladvarian said. _*Smoke and his family will keep them safe and give the alert if anything happens. Prince Jaal and his people are patrolling the woods and the grounds. The birds are patrolling here and at the Keep. No one will enter either place or either realm without there being an alert.*_ Ladvarian paused, then fastened his eyes on Jaenelle. _*Draca knows.*_

Which meant that by now, Geoffrey and others in the Keep already knew about what had happened and whatever it was that took care of and protected the Keep would be on high alert until they decided it was safe.

Jaenelle was quiet for a moment and then she sighed, a slight sadness in her eyes. Lucivar and Saetan had seen that look before, but for Daemon, this was the first time he had seen his wife look this weary.

"Jaenelle?"

"I can't deny it any longer, can I?"

Saetan gave her an understanding look and shook his head. "No Lady. You are still the Queen we serve, the Dark Court still exists because you exist."

"We serve informally, but we still serve," Aaron said, his arm around his wife as Kalush nodded.

Each of the others in the room gave their agreement by nods and Jaenelle finally accepted the truth she had been denying for the last several years. No matter what Jewels she wore, she was still the Queen of Ebon Askavi -- at least until her daughter was ready to take on that responsibility.

Jaenelle turned to look at the Coven and then sighed, nodding her head as she turned back to look at her father.

"High Lord," she said with formality.

"Yes, Lady?"

"Send out word to the others. The Dark Court is to assemble at the Keep as soon as it is possible." She looked at Ladvarian, who bowed his head to her.

 _*The Kindred already know, Lady. We were just waiting for you to realize the truth as well.*_

 

***

 

Kaetien had been holding a red shield around Jaera and her chains when she suddenly thought of something. _*Jaera?*_

 _*Yes?*_

 _*We shouldn't escape right now.*_

Jaera blinked. _*What?!*_

 _*Exactly what I said. We shouldn't escape at this moment.*_

 _*Hell's fire, Kaetien! Why the hell not?*_

 _*Because, we don't know what they want or what their purpose is.*_

 _*Darling, their purpose seems very clear to me. They wanted to kidnap you and do something to harm you, therefore causing a pain that will never be healed in our family. I was just an extra bonus.*_

 _*But we don't know their reasons or what their plans are. If we escape now without knowing what they have planned, what's to stop them from coming after us again?*_

 _*Daemonar's bladed stick through their throats?*_ Jaera started carefully feeding power into the links of the chain again.

 _*And if we escape and they follow us?*_

 _*They can't track us. We have darker jewels than they do.*_

 _*Exactly, so in theory, we can escape whenever we want. But if we escape too soon and they can't track us, they may return to Dhemlan... and others of the Coven could be in danger.*_

Jaera was quiet. _*Not if Caelan sounded the alarm.*_

 _*But what if Caelan hasn't been able to raise an alarm?*_ Kaetien asked, pain coming along the thread.

 _*Don't think like that, Kaetien. Caelan is alive and by now she's at the Hall and your mother's Coven has started working out a battle plan while the boyos make their own plans. Daemonar will already have our boyos out searching for our trail while our sisters start thinking of their own revenge.*_

Kaetien didn't respond to the mental images that would ordinarily cause her to smile.

 _*What are you suggesting that we do, Kaetien?*_

 _*We stay their prisoners for now.*_

 _*Have you lost your mind? Stay chained up like dogs and allow them to do hell knows what with us?*_

 _*Not at all. We won't be chained, Jaera. However, they will think we're still chained up. And when things start happening to these men, well, we're just two helpless witches that are chained up. We have no idea why they are having such bad luck.*_

Now there was a thread of humor coming through the communication thread. _*So not just information, but a little revenge thrown in as well.*_

 _*Precisely. After all, we can't let Daemonar and the others have all of the fun with punishment and revenge, now can we? We're the ones that got taken. We should have some part in that, as well.*_

 _*Sister, that plan is very creative and vindictive. I like it.*_

 

***

 

Caelan was by now being fussed over by Sindri and Miriam, much to her dismay. Getting fussed over by Healers' daughters was a terrifying experience. They wouldn't so much as let her breathe, very nearly. The boyos were of the opinion that all they needed to do to punish someone who hurt one of their own was to gather all the Healers' daughters and let them fuss the culprit to death.

Except now she didn't think that particular method would seem terribly appropriate or amusing.

"Here," Sindri said, pressing a mug of something into Caelan's hands. "Drink. You'll feel better."

Caelan eyed Sindri warily. "What is it?"

"Not a healing brew, I promise," Sindri said with an understanding smile. "Just regular old tea. The kind made to relax, yes, but not a healing brew."

Caelan knew Sindri wouldn't trick her. At least, not in this situation. Something where she'd been badly physically injured, yes. Sindri would lie through her teeth and smile cheerfully while doing it, but not this time, not when Caelan's injuries had already been taken care of and all that was left was to fuss. And so, still looking a little doubtful, she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip.

"And how's the little witch doing?" came a voice from the hall.

There was only one person that could be. There was only one person who called every girl in the Coven "little witch" no matter who he was talking about. Only one person who so cheerfully risked a fist to the gut for it when he used the endearment to their faces. Of course, his voice wasn't so cheerful now, but that could be forgiven.He had a great deal on his mind right at the moment and the last thing anyone felt was cheerful.

"She's not shaking any longer," Tirian said as her brother came into view. "We've all been taking care of her."

Daemonar nodded as he looked Caelan over himself. "Does she remember anything more?"

Under normal circumstances, Caelan might have been a little bit annoyed with someone talking about her as if she wasn't there. However, she really didn't want to bring all of Daemonar's attention onto her at this point in time. So, she stayed quiet and let the rest of the coven talk for her.

Muirenn shook her head. "She's told Aunt Jae's Circle all that she can recall. Now, we are waiting for Della to get back with Kaevidar and KaeAskavi and tell us what they found."

"I should be out there!" Daemonar burst out.

"Doing what?" Surreal's daughter, Titian demanded. "Chasing after every male in the area you find that you don't know and threatening them with a blade? Oh yes, that will find our sisters safe and quickly."

"It's better than waiting and doing nothing," Daemonar said, pacing the library.

"We don't like waiting, either," Blaede pointed out. "But we can just go tearing across the Realms and attacking any male we see that we not know." He came into the library and the rest of the boyos followed.

"It's not _your_ heart that's been taken!"

"No, but she is _our_ Queen, too!" Arianna burst out. "We have just as much to lose as you do!"

It wasn't like Daemonar could challenge her on that, and feeling the barely contained rage that was running through all of the girls in the room, he decided that discretion was probably a good thing right now. The last thing that any of them needed to deal with were the tempers of eleven witches erupting all at the same time. It was a reminder that women in a rage could be just as deadly as men -- and in some cases even worse.

"I just wish we knew _why_ the two of them were taken and by who!"

 

***

 

 _*Roxie?_ * Kaetien demanded as she and Jaera started carefully weaving spells around the chains and around themselves. _*Who the hell is Roxie?*_

Jaera shrugged. _*I've never heard the name before. Why do you ask?*_

 _*It's what those idiots are talking about. They keep bringing up her name. She's the reason that you and I are in this situation to begin with.*_

 _*Maybe she's someone who is jealous of your mother and the family? Maybe she had a crush on your father and when he married your mom, she felt jilted.*_

 _*If her ideal way of dealing with her jealousy is waiting seventeen years and then kidnapping the daughter of her rival, then she is a bigger idiot than these men she hired.*_ Kaetien said as she weaved another spell into the chains, smiling as they started to give way. _*You don't punish children in your vendetta against adults. We may not see ourselves as children, but I know adults always do. And messing with a kid from our family? That's an instant death sentence.*_

 _*So, inviting Suicide by SaDiablo,*_ Jaera commented as the rest of the chains quietly moved away from the two girls. _*There are easier and less painful ways to seek your death. Why she would risk the pain that your parents, my mother and our Grandfather will visit upon her for this?*_

 _*Because she's incredibly stupid?*_ Kaetien responded as she finished the spell that would make it seem that the two girls were still securely in their chains. _*Either that, or she's so far in the Twisted Kingdom that she doesn't realize how much trouble she'll be in with the family for this.*_

 _*No. I don't think she's in the Twisted Kingdom. She probably should be for coming up with something so dumb, but I don't think she is. Those idiots would be too afraid of dealing with a witch in the Twisted Kingdom. They're afraid of dealing with witches as it is. One in the Twisted Kingdom? I think they'd run away.*_

Kaetien snorted. _*Eyriens, these guys are not. Shaladorans, these guys are not. Hell's fire, I'd bet that the only kind of regular female companionship they have ever had has been from Red Moon houses, and I bet even in those, they're too afraid of the women to use their real names.*_

 _*So if they're afraid of witches, we can turn that to our advantage,*_ Jaera said as she settled into a more comfortable position against the wall. _*The more we turn that on them, the more innocent we want to seem. The thing is, are these the kind of men who believe women are all whores or are they normal men?*_ Because how they approached this would be determined by what kind of men they were facing. Obviously they weren't _good_ men, but you could still be a bad man without being the kind of man who'd mistreat a woman.

 _*I can't tell for certain, but their psychic scents? These aren't the nicest guys around,*_ Kaetien replied. _*We'll want to draw this out as long as we can, though. Play with them as much as we can.*_

 _*We don't want to encourage them, though,*_ Jaera mused, nodding in agreement. _*We just want to take as much revenge as we can manage before the rescue party shows up.*_ Because there was no doubt that they would be rescued, it was just a matter of when.

Kaetien frowned thoughtfully. _*When this is all over...*_

 _*Gravediggers for everybody!*_ was Jaera's finishing contribution to the sentence, a contribution that nearly made Kaetien choke on her laughter.

 _*Uncle Khary is going to regret the day he ever let us have a first sip of those things.*_

 

***

 

It was Titian, oddly enough, who started putting together why exactly Daemonar was so upset about Kaetien's kidnapping, even more upset than any of the other boyos. She kept it to herself, though; if there was one thing the slender brunette had inherited from her mother besides a deadly accuracy with the blade, it was the ability to keep a secret. So instead of saying anything, she simply took a spot on a couch in the room and sat, folding her legs up under her and looking the perfect picture of casual comfort.

The first person to take a seat next to her was Sindri's brother, Kavan. The look on his face told Titian that he was working something around in his mind, something that he didn't necessarily want to share just yet. So instead of prodding him to talk like she ordinarily might have done in a situation that wasn't the one they were currently in, Titian just gave him a faint, sympathetic smile. "Wipe that look off your face before your sister tries giving you the tea she gave Caelan," she teased, hoping to get some kind of cheer out of him even if only for a split second.

Kavan, however, just gave her a mirthless smile. "My sister can't do tea to save her life," he said, managing a furtive look in Caelan's direction. "I prepared it for her and had her give it to the Lady Caelan."

Titian nodded thoughtfully. "Why not just do it yourself?"

"There are some kinds of hovering a Healer can do over a young woman that a worried male cannot," Kavan replied, watching as Caelan and Tirian got into some sort of conversation about something or other.

Titian studied him for a thoughtful moment. "Even a worried male trying to win the young woman's heart?"

"Especially then," Kavan said with a sigh, leaning back against the couch. "I've listened to my father enough that I know when to stand back and let the women do the fussing. Right now, Caelan might see a male fussing as being because she cannot stand up for herself." He looked at Titian. "Women, especially witches, are complicated."

She laughed softly. "If you don't want her to think you are being overly fussy, why don't you offer her a rescue from all of the attention?"

It was obvious from the look on his face that he hadn't considered that option. "I was thinking that it would be my head if I intruded."

Titian shook her head. "How the men in this family ever get themselves women, I'll never understand. All of you seem to tread so carefully around us all of the time."

"Well, look it at it from our perspective. The women in this family can be confusing and scary. You're even more scary when we have to deal with more than one of you at a time." At Titian's arched eyebrow, he shook his head. "You ladies give us this dirty look and then you smile at us and we just know that no good can come of a smile like that."

"You males aren't exactly easy to deal with all of the time, either, Kavan."

"Us? We're simple. You let us serve, or you point us at something we can drink or beat up. See, very simple."

"You don't see the lot of you from our perspective," Titian argued. "All of your jewels and energy bearing down on us to fuss or get us petted into agreeing to whatever it is you do or don't want us to do. Being on the receiving end of all of that can be a bit overwhelming sometimes."

"It's what we do, Lady. It's in our blood and it's who we are."

"You're all so _male_ about it, though."

"That argument makes no sense." Kavan said. "We're male and when we're not using our strength to do what we are born to do, that can breed even more trouble. Especially when we're watching over a coven like the band of you. The thirteen of you aren't that easy to keep cleaning up after."

Titian muttered something unflattering about the way males handled things, and Kavan laughed at her.

"Go rescue your lady before I decide to beat on you with something that might be harder than your blasted head, Kavan."

The only reason Kavan didn't mess up her hair as he got up from the couch was because he was afraid she would actually find something to hit him with. The boyos were doing their level best to keep everything in the library calm, but Kavan and Titian both had their concerns and neither was sure how much longer that could be done. The longer Kaetien and Jaera were missing, the colder and shorter the tempers became. If they didn't get word about their missing sisters soon, it could very well be that the coven would decide to do something -- and no amount of male power from them would stop it.

 

***

 

It was midday when the kidnappers ran into their first snag. Their prize, it seemed, was unwell and her companion was at a loss as to what was wrong with her. They were unwilling to lose their two hostages, so when the young witchling started getting sick for the third time, they decided that they needed to make camp sooner than later. She would need to be tended to before they could go any further. As much as they wanted to get out of Kaeleer and into Terreille and far away from the reach of the SaDiablos, the young witch from Glacia told them that she could only get the plants needed to heal her friend from the forests of Kaeleer.

They set up camp and after making sure the bindings on the captives were secure -- not that the girls were going to go anywhere with Kaetien so sick at the moment -- most of the men headed out to hunt for food.

 _*It's almost sad how easy these men are to fool,*_ Kaetien said, watching the actions in the camp from where she was sitting quite comfortably. _*How they got this far without harming themselves is a mystery.*_

 _*Sheer dumb luck?*_ Jaera guessed, a smirk in her voice. _*This kind of explains why Mama always says the only good males are the ones in our family and the ones in her and Aunt Jaenelle's Circles.*_

Kaetien's only response was a snicker.

 _*That getting sick thing? Was a stroke of genius,*_ Jaera said, approval in her voice. _*It's something I might've thought of.*_

 _*Why do you think I did it?*_ Kaetien grinned. _*I learned from the best.*_

Before Jaera could reply, a rustle in the trees behind them caught her attention. She turned swiftly, prepared to deal with the cause of the noise if it was one of their captors trying to be clever. Nothing but a random forest creature, though. After brushing a tendril of power against it and determining that it wasn't Kindred -- for that would have changed how she greeted the creature -- she just wiggled her fingers at it and turned her attention back to watching the camp.

 _*Do you think we could sneak away entirely right now?*_ Jaera mused. _*We're not bound, after all. We could explore, try to find a way out. Though that makes us run the risk of them coming back and finding us gone before we get a chance to be back here.*_ Because for the girls to appear bound, they had to at least be in the area. The spells that she and Kaetien had woven in the past few hours were quick and dirty, not their best work. They'd function perfectly well and fool nearly anybody, but they'd had to tie them into their power and their Jewels as an anchor since they hadn't had time to do tangled webs or anything else to root the spellwork to. They could be pretty far away, they both thought, but this was not the time for them to experiment. They could do that later, with the boyos' help, once they were home safe and sound.

Kaetien thought about this for a second. _*We could, if we didn't get too far from the area with our spells. We could also cast a small alert spell to let us know when they are coming back so that we can come back and make sure our spells hold.*_ Not that she was too worried about their spells failing at any time soon. But, the moment the men decided to touch one of them, if they weren't there, the spells could fall apart and then they might have to start all over again. _*I'm just glad that they believed you when you said that the only place you could find the plants to help my illness was in Kaeleer. I'm not looking forward to them trying to get us into Terrielle.*_

Jaera shook her head as the two of them walked away from the encampment. _*The moment they get us into Terrielle is the moment that we know we are in deep trouble. Have you heard any more about what their plans for us are once they get us to where they want to go? Have they spoke anymore about that Roxie bitch?*_

 _*The only thing they've said about her lately is that what they have done will balance what was done to her by the family. I don't see how kidnapping and harming us brings any balance to a bitch who wanted my father for herself and can't accept the fact that he married my mother.*_

 _*And the rest? Have you heard anything while you were pretending to be ill and they were forgetting themselves in their panic that you might die on them?*_

 _*They're hoping that once they get us into Terreille and to the place that they're supposed to, someone will be able to strip us of our jewels before we're sold.*_ There were many emotions going through the thread from Kaetien.

 _*They think that they're going to sell us? To who?*_

 _*They haven't said, yet. They're focused on getting us there and then how to cut us off from our power so that we're not a threat.*_ She thought about this for a moment. _*The weird thing is whenever the topic comes up about us being hurt or having someone mess with our jewels, half of the men get really uncomfortable and unhappy about that idea. They said that they didn't want anything to do with that part -- it wasn't part of the original agreement.*_

 _*So it's worse than we originally thought,*_ Jaera agreed as they looked at the surrounding forest. * _Look, there are a few caves along here that we could hide.*_

Kaetien followed her friend's gaze and nodded. _*If we could convince them to stay in this place for a few days, we can weave a better illusion and maybe a few webs. By the time they realized that we weren't really there, we could be hidden and shielded and they wouldn't be able to find us. It would take a few days and we would have to keep causing small problems for them, but it could work until we could get away and then hide until we can reach someone who is loyal to us.*_

 _*We've been gone almost three days, now,*_ Jaera said as she thought about how Kaetien's plan would work. _*Anything we do should give us sufficient time to stall these guys and let our people find us -- because you know that by now, the Hall has become a place of battle tactics and plans. We know that Daemonar and Della probably didn't wait very long to make a decision on a plan to find us.*_

 _*No, I don't think they did. They will find us, we just have to keep these men from reaching a gate to take us all to Terrielle. It will be much harder to find us and harder for us to get away if we make it through the gate with them.*_ She thought for a moment. _*But, if that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if we went through and found Surreal or Rainier waiting for them. Terreille was her hunting ground a long time ago and I know for a fact that she still makes trips there to make sure that she's not needed to call in a debt for someone.*_

 _*That would definitely be a welcome surprise, but I'd be happier if we didn't make it to Terreille just the same.*_

 _*If they do manage to get us to a gate in our condition, then we'll have to make sure that they aren't able to open the gate. We're strong enough to block them if they try to and they wouldn't even need to know it was us.*_ She smiled. _*But if we do end up getting that far, then I think it would be the perfect place to drop all of the illusions and deal with them until the rescue party showed up.*_

 _*Be prepared for anything.*_ Jaera agreed. _*Our credo. That and if we didn't try to do something, we would never heard the end of it from Lucivar. We're already going to be in for it for getting kidnapped by these men in the first place.*_

 _*I think that we're going to get lectures from everyone after this is all over,*_ Kaetien grumped. _*The boyos are going to be almost impossible to live with for awhile when we get back home. Petting and fussing and lecturing for a good long time, I suspect.*_

 _*They are going to get it into their heads that they'll be in the right for several days, I bet. How much do you think we can handle before we start snarling and smacking at them?*_

 _*I have no idea. I do know that if any of them try to get in my way of a hot bath when we first get back home, I'm going to start punching right away. That is the first thing I want after this is all over. A hot bath, followed by a good meal and possibly something strong to drink.*_

 _*All of that sounds completely wonderful. I'm doubtful that any of them will get in the way of that, well, except for Daemonar. He might be stupid enough to try and get in the way of that bath. That is one Eyrien that doesn't have the sense enough to stay out of reach of a smack when he earns one.*_

They were quiet for several minutes as they examined the area where the caves were and where their campsite was located. They found several good places to hide and to anchor some of their spells. Once they were satisfied that they had an accurate lay of the land and they were convinced they could do some wonderful spell work here, they wandered back to the campsite, sitting near to where they were supposedly chained up. They were just in time because as they sat down, the first of the men came back to check on them. Seeing that the two young witches were still there and that Kaetien didn't seem to look any better, he went and tended to the fire. He began cooking something in the fire as he waited for his companions to return from their hunting and gathering. It was going to be a long night.

 

***

 

"I am done waiting around for them to come back on their own!" Daemonar yelled, his fist coming down on the table in front of him. "They have been gone for three days and no one has been able to find them or find the rest of the trail of the men that took them!"

"Daemonar, calm down," Sindri said quietly, looking towards the door with a little concern. "They'll be coming in here to find out what all of the yelling is about."

"I will not calm down!" The Eyrien roared. "Kaetien is missing. My queen is missing and no one seems to have the slightest idea where she and Jaera might be. They could have been taken into Terreille or Little Terreille by now."

Titian watched him, something clicking into place in her mind. "If they had been taken there, my mother would have seen it and would have been back here by now with them."

"Which means that they want to avoid her," Kavan mused aloud. "Because as much as we don't want to admit it, Terreille would make a halfway decent hiding place for them."

"And _that_ means we have something to go on," Caelan contributed from where she was sitting, looking pale and worried. "Or the start of it, anyway. Because we can ask Aunt Surreal who would most want to avoid her."

That got another snarl from Daemonar, but it also got a nod. "And if we find out who would want to be avoiding Surreal, we know who to start hurting."

Nobody wanted to argue with him on that, but at the same time, they knew they couldn't let him do that. Not yet, at least. They all knew they had to step carefully, though, which was why it was Tirian who spoke up.

"Not right away, brother mine," she said with a faint, somewhat evil smile. "Because if we hurt them too much, they won't talk or else they'll say anything just to make us stop the hurting and go away. We want to make sure we get the right information out of them so we can answer our queen."

Daemonar scowled but nodded, accepting the slight rebuke. He had backed away from the edge a little bit as soon as they had started forming an actual plan to be enacted. They didn't have much of one yet, but even the start of one was more than they'd had earlier. And that meant he could back away from the Killing Edge, take a deep breath, and start trusting his Queen's Coven and the boyos to help him.

Didn't change how badly he wanted to do it all himself, but being more rational at the moment now, he knew that was never going to happen. Largely because there'd be nearly a dozen girls beating his head in if he tried anything so foolhardy.

"So first things first, then," Titian said in a brisk, businesslike fashion. "One of us needs to talk to my mother and then we go from there. Agreed?"

"Agreed," came a chorus of voices.

 

***

 

Titian stood outside the rooms her mother occupied when at the Keep, trying to figure out how exactly she had gotten nominated to go and do this herself. She shook it off as a problem for another time, though, and knocked at the door.

The door opened almost instantly, a sign that Surreal had been about to barrel out of the room and go somewhere. Surreal pulled herself up when she saw her daughter and raised an eyebrow.

"I got nominated," Titian explained. "May I come in?"

Surreal nodded, curiosity in her eyes. "Of course. What I can I help you with, daughter?"

"You were leaving when I arrived. Are you planning to go to Terreille or to Little Terrielle?" She grinned at her mother's look. "We figured that the kidnappers would take them to one of those two places because they think that they'll be safer there -- if they can avoid you."

Surreal laughed and shook her head. "You guys have been plotting and planning and seeing what you all can come up with, I see."

"It's that or let Daemonar ride the killing edge and follow him into some sort of fix." She smoothed a piece of hair behind her ear. "His control is slipping and the only way we've been able to hobble him is by making plans and sending me to discuss things with you."

"Like what sort of things?"

"Like who would be wanting to avoid you in either of those two places. Like what gate do you think the kidnappers would go through in the belief that they could keep in hiding from you and your skills with a knife. You would be their biggest worry once they reach Terreille because they know that those two girls are family to Surreal SaDiablo and they would be in a world of pain if you caught up to them."

"You guys are every bit as bad as Jaenelle's coven and first circle," she said, not sure she liked this idea very much. However, she also knew that she really couldn't prevent her daughter from choosing her own path to follow, just as she had chosen hers.

"We've had very good teachers, Mother," Titian said. "They took two of our own and we couldn't just sit and pretend that everything will work itself out. We have to do something because it's in our nature and it's the way we've been taught and raised."

"Jaenelle called her court back together," Surreal pointed out. "She's taking her place as Queen again and arranging people and their duties in this."

"That's all well and good, but Kaetien and Jaera belong to _us_ and someone has taken them. Daemonar is very near the killing edge over this and something has to be done about this now. If he goes cold, the boyos will follow and I think that the coven will, too. Actually, the coven will go into cold rage first and the boyos will follow suit." She gave Surreal a considering look. "You answer my question, and I'll tell you something interesting that I've figured out about Daemonar and Kaetien."

Surreal couldn't deny that her daughter had now piqued her curiosity. "If I tell you what you want to know, you have to promise me that you won't do anything with the information that I give you. I understand that you kids need answers, but I want to make sure you're not going to run off half-cocked and do something stupid that Saetan yells at you for later."

Titian smiled at her mother and met her eyes. "I can promise you that none of us will do with the information what you would have done with it when you were our age."

There was a loophole in her daughter's promise, she knew that there had to be. Hell if she could immediately pinpoint it at this time, though. The girl was too much like her and her namesake for there not to be. She eyed her daughter again and then nodded. Sighing, she gestured to her daughter to sit and then she spent the next several minutes answering her questions and running down who she thought would have reason to avoid her in the lighter realms and who she might be keeping track of and who she thought might need to get a visit from her. She was careful not to tell Titian that she had been heading out to go have a chat with some of those men in Terreille to see if they knew anything about the kidnapping of the two adolescent witches.

"All right, little witchling, I told you what you wanted to know. Now, you tell me about Daemonar and Kaetien."

 

***

 

The group of men couldn't figure out how their cold box of meat had become empty during the night. None of them saw any animals near it and each time they checked on their captives, they were still chained up. So, obviously they couldn't have done anything with the supplies. The brunette witch and daughter of the SaDiablos was leaning against the rock they had put her against the night before, and it didn't look as if she or her companion had moved at all during the night. When one of the men offered her water, she only took a few sips and then closed her eyes.

This wasn't good. They had lost their meat and their captive had fallen ill. One of the men kept a close eye on her as three others went into the surrounding woods with her companion to find the plants she needed to make a healing brew for her.

"If she tries to run, it will go bad for you," one of the men told Kaetien as he crouched next to her. "She tries _anything_ and we'll stop being so nice to you."

"Because you have been the epitome of niceness up until now," Kaetien rasped, not meeting his eyes. "Kidnapping two helpless teenage girls because someone's girlfriend has an issue with something that happened with my family long before I was born."

"Roxie wasn't his girlfriend, she was his older sister and he loved her more than anything, little girl," the guard said angrily. "Your father killed her and her friend because they dared not to bow and scrape to your mother and the rest of your family."

"So in revenge, he waits seventeen years and then kidnaps their daughter?" Kaetien said in disbelief. "And you're wrong. If my father killed them, it was for a lot more than what he told you. My mother isn't the type who wants everyone around her to defer to her."

"Are you calling my friend a liar?" The guard demanded with a hint of anger in his tone.

"No more than you're calling my father a murderer."

"He did kill them and he left their bodies where everyone could see what he had done. He even admitted it to the Queen Zhara at the time."

"I have no doubt that he killed them, but they would have had to do something pretty bad for him to resort to that. My father uses death as a last resort in conflicts." Kaetien blinked her eyes and looked at the guard. "My father is not someone that you and your friends want to mess with," she warned. "There is a very good reason that he's known as The Sadist in Terrielle."

The guard turned a bit paler than his normal color. "The Sadist? The Sadist is your father?"

She gave him a confused look. "Didn't your friend tell you that Daemon SaDiablo and The Sadist were one and the same? I'm betting that he also didn't tell you that Jaenelle Angelline and Witch are also the same person." At the slight flicker of fear in his eyes confirmed her guess. "Congratulations. You and your friends have The Sadist and Witch hunting you. When they find you, you can believe that they're not going to show you any mercy. You kidnapped their little girl because some bitch pissed off my father enough that he killed her seventeen years ago. There's no place that you can hide where they won't find you."

"When we get to Terrielle, they won't be able to find you or your friend. We've made plans for this."

"Did trying to hide from my Aunt Surreal SaDiablo figure into your plans? Because I'm pretty sure she knows all of the best spots that males who harm witches try to run to."

"We haven't done a damn thing to harm either one of you."

"No? You attacked us. You kidnapped us. You've let me become ill. You and your friends are planning on having us broken before you try to sell us in one of the auctions."

The man looked away. "I never agreed to anything that would include the two of you being broken."

"You haven't protested it, either. That makes you just as guilty if it winds up happening. Do you think my family is going to care whether it was in your original plans or not when they find out about it? They'll make sure you last long enough to have a nice visit with my grandfather in Hell."

The man looked at Kaetien, fear in his eyes now. "I don't want that."

"And I didn't want to be kidnapped," Kaetien retorted. "And I certainly don't want to be broken. So in terms of us not wanting things, I'd say we'll be about even."

 

***

 

Jaera was keeping an eye out for herbs as she was pushed through the trees; she didn't need them, but she had to make this look good. "Red leaves," she muttered to herself. "Red leaves, green stems..."

"What are you babbling about, bitch?" asked one of the men.

"I'm trying to think of the plants I need," Jaera explained, putting her best "helpless and confused" voice on. "But it's hard to think with the three of you crowding me so much."

"Gotta make sure you don't try anything," the man replied. "Can't do that if we give you room to do anything."

"But she's my _friend_ ," Jaera said, not quite a wail. "She might die if I don't find her these herbs, and she'll definitely die if I do anything here because then you guys will kill her. So is there really harm in giving me half a dozen steps so I'm not so crowded?" She very nearly pouted. Mother Night, she wasn't good at this. They got out of this whole thing, she was going to make the more innocent Coven girls give them all lessons in looking innocent and helpless.

The men looked at each other for a moment before shrugging in unison. "Suit yourself," said the one who'd been speaking for them as the three of them fell back a little. "But you better behave."

"I will, I promise," Jaera promised, crouching down and hiding a smirk. She used her position to perform a simple bit of Craft, making branches crack somewhere behind the men; all three jumped and looked around.

"What was that?" the second of the men demanded. "It sounded like it was behind us."

Oh, good. They really _were_ as dumb as Jaera and Kaetien had thought they were. It was always nice to have your suspicions confirmed, Jaera supposed as she pulled a couple of leaves from a plant and put them in the basket they'd so thoughtfully given her. Another bit of Craft had the sound of a quiet snarl coming from their left. The men jumped, but Jaera just placidly kept gathering plants and acting as though she were just the slightest bit dim. It wouldn't hold up to anybody who had really heard of Karla's daughter even in the slightest, but these guys didn't weren't that bright to begin with. It was working so she was sticking with it.

Oh, she was gonna have fun with this...

 

***

 

Titian shifted in her seat, tucking her legs up under her and prolonging the anticipation on her mother's part. She couldn't help it; she had her mother's flair for the dramatic and she also had her mother's sense of when to use it. "Well..."

Surreal narrowed her eyes. "Talk," she demanded impatiently.

Titian laughed softly. "Oh, all right," she drawled. "Since you asked so politely." She shifted once more before saying, "The two of them have been in love since it was even remotely appropriate for Daemonar to be noticing her that way."

Surreal would have choked on her tongue if not for the fact that really, it wasn't all that surprising a revelation. It was a surprise, yes, but on another level entirely... it made sense. "How do you know that?"

"How could I not?" Titian countered. "The way he reacts when she's in trouble of any kind, for one."

"She's his Queen. He's supposed to react like that. Not to mention the family he comes from. They all react like that."

"Then you clearly haven't seen how damnably hard it's been to keep him from going out and ripping countless people to shreds in the name of getting Kaetien back from wherever she is and whoever it is that took her," Titian said, making a face at her mother. This was serious, yes, but Titian couldn't help it. The look on her mother's face was fair begging for a reaction like the one Titian had given.

"You have a point," Surreal conceeded. "I know why he's reacting like this, though, and I can't say as I blame him. Because knowing his family, he hasn't even found the nerve to confess his feelings for her. And he's Eyrien, which means that they show love through overprotection and in some cases swift and blinding violence."

"Well, he's certainly got the overprotection down pat," Titian said dryly. "And the swift and blinding violence is sure to come." She raised an eyebrow. "And he gets the same look in his eyes about her that Uncle Daemon gets about Aunt Jaenelle."

"That's a damn good sign of their bond right there. I'm betting that Daemon has no idea and Jaenelle knows exactly what has been playing out beneath their noses for the last few years, then." Surreal laughed softly. "He's like his father, grandfather, and uncle all over again, God help us all."

 

***

 

Daemon had slipped outside to get some air and to try to calm down before he went back into the the library at the Keep. He stepped out into the garden, and paused when he picked up a familiar presence already in the garden. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he slowly walked down the steps until he was in the grass. He stood and watched the male that was looking at the statue of the wild feline protecting the sleeping girl. He knew that he was talking to the statue, but he wasn't yet close enough to hear what was being said. He knew the set of the shoulders, though. How many times had he seen his brother standing like that whenever he was worried about his wife or his sister? Making a decision, Daemon stopped long enough to light one of the candles on the altar and then continued on his way to where his nephew was standing.

"Boyo, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that keeping your stance that tense is going to make you feel very sore tomorrow."

Daemonar didn't turn around, but he did acknowledge that he had heard his uncle with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "The aches will help give me something to focus on."

"How many times today did you go out to the practice ring and beat up on things?"

Another shrug. "A few."

"That may work with your mother and your aunt sometimes, but that won't work with me. Now, how about an honest answer?"

"Seven or eight or nine, I don't know. Hell's fire, Uncle Daemon! What does it matter how many times I was in the practice field when Kaetien is _missing_? She shouldn't be missing. I should have been there when the attack happened but I couldn't protect her because she didn't tell me where they were going! How am I supposed to protect my Queen when she doesn't tell me where she's going and I can only feel a slight annoyed buzzing through the ring?"

Daemon's jaw fell open and then closed with an inaudible snap as he tried to deal with that information and the fact that the taste of fear and frustration emanating from his nephew was something he had had too much personal experience with.

But let's deal with the most shocking part first. "Ring? You wear a ring of Kaetien's?" He swallowed. "Nephew, where do you wear it?"

Daemonar's voice was a mumble, and then he sighed. "I did some research about some of the things that happened a long time ago, before Aunt Jae purged the tainted ones. Outsiders had to serve and wear a ring for several months to a year to prove they served someone. I made Kaetien make me one."

Daemon wasn't sure how he felt about his nephew wearing what was basically a controlling ring, though not as brutal as what he had grown up wearing. He also wasn't sure what to think about the fact that his daughter had been the one to make the damn thing for him.

"How did you convince my daughter to make you a controlling ring, Daemonar?"

"It's not like those kinds, I promise, Uncle Daemon. Kaetien would have never given me one like that and I would never have asked for one, and not only because she would have hit me so hard I wouldn't have seen straight for days. This is like the ring that Aunt Jae made for her first circle boyos. I decided that I wanted one, I had earned one."

"You earned Kaetien making you a ring?" Daemon lit up a cigarette as they talked.

"I serve her, Uncle Daemon and I wanted it to be shown that I served her and she's my queen. I wanted that because it was a symbol that I do serve. I have no doubt that after the other boyos find out about it, they'll want one, too."

Daemon bit back the words he wanted to say. He was very glad that so many years ago, Jaenelle has made the rings for her boyos and then for the coven. It was those rings that kept Karla alive long enough for him to get to her and kill what was attacking her. Those rings were the reasons that so many attacks on her circle had failed. Yes, he was damn glad for those rings.

"If you're planning on her making you a better ring, you better make sure what it means."

"It means I'm hers to do with whatever she wishes to do and that she accepts the fact that the first law is not obedience but to serve and protect."

"And why is that, do you think prince?"

"It's how we are bred and taught. It's in our blood so deep that to try to change it would be wrong. We serve and protect." He took a breath. "She's my Queen, Uncle Daemon. I will use every bit of my strength and power to keep her safe if I only knew where she was!"

"And a ring like that usually lets you track down where she is?"

"Usually and it gets worse when Kaetien is angry or when she's hurt or in trouble."

"But the reason you're even more unhappy right now is because your ring is only giving a faint buzz which is not telling you anything about where she can be found."

"How am I supposed to protect her when I don't know where she is? She should have told me about the new bend in the river that they had decided to go to and we would have went with them and kept them safe,"

Daemon was quiet, trying to figure out how he should deal with this one. "Daemonar, you say that she's yours. I've heard you say that all of the time over the years since we found her and brought her home."

"She was always mine and I was always hers. That pull has been there our whole lives. When she's there, she soothes me and when she's missing, I feel less and less in control of my temper."

"Does she hold your leash, boyo?"

"She does, Uncle. She holds my leash." He looked over at Daemon. "My life is hers, as is my heart. Her will is mine."

Words of service, of surrender. Daemon remembered the first time he gave all over willing to Jaenelle and he recognized what was happening with his nephew and his daughter.

Daemon took a slow, steady breath. "Then let's focus on getting your Queen back," he said softly. "Go to Kavan; I think he understands a bit of how you're feeling at the moment."

Daemonar couldn't help but give a weak smile at that. "I was in the sparring ring with him earlier," he admitted. "He wants to hover over Caelan so badly, Uncle. It's nearly an ache in him, I can feel it."

"She won't let any male hover until Kaetien and Jaera are safely back with us," Daemon said. "But we'll get them back. We'll get them back, and you two will be able to safely hover over your ladies for as long as you like." Because a situation like this? Completely earned any males involved the right to hover as long as they damn well pleased. "But for now... take Kavan and get yourselves drunk."

Not the best advice, but it was all he had at the moment.

"Just no Gravediggers."

Daemonar looked at his uncle for a long moment. How could he go get drunk when his Queen was missing? He needed to be helping to find her, not getting steadily drunker with one of his good friends. But at the same time... he could see the wisdom in it. Kaetien would not want him to do something so stupid that it would get him killed, and that was the kind of thing he very well might end up doing. She would want him to stay safe.

But she would also expect him to help take care of the others in her Coven and impromptu First Circle in her absence. It was one of his jobs, albeit an unofficial one. Spending time with Kavan would do nothing to help Kaetien and Jaera, but it would do something to help Kavan and his worries. It would also help Caelan by removing Kavan from her presence for a while, giving her a chance to relax without having to worry about his desire to protect her -- because even though he was doing his best _not_ to hover, he was no doubt hovering anyway.

It was part of what made males male.

"All right," Daemonar said finally, giving a slight nod. "And I'll try confining our exploits to one room."

"Thank you," Daemon said with a smile he didn't entirely feel. "I'm sure the staff will appreciate it."

 

***

 

It was late, so theoretically the girls were in bed asleep. In actuality, they had gathered themselves into a sitting room and were doing their best to keep their minds off the issues at hand. Which translated into a room of young women pacing and flailing.

Tensions in the room were high when Surreal walked in, the air so thick with it that she had to suppress the urge to just turn around and walk out right then and there. But she tamped it down and continued into the room.

As soon as the girls noticed her, Surreal was swarmed by a chorus of worried female voices asking questions all at once. Surreal lifted her fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle. "Everyone, quiet! One at a time, please," she said wearily, having a sudden and very vivid flash of what they'd all been like as little children.

"Are you going to do anything about this?" This was from Taenelle, the ordinarily fairly reserved daughter of Grezande.

"We're taking care of it," Surreal promised. "Titian and I are going to speak to Uncle Saetan now; I just wanted to check in on you girls first and see how you're doing."

Which really meant she wanted to make sure Titian hadn't shared anything with them on a distaff thread and sent them all off on a harebrained scheme. Same difference.

"We're as good as can be expected," Cadriana said from where she was sitting with Caelan and Sindri, the three of them nursing cups of tea. "We're panicky and worried, but..." She shrugged one shoulder. "We're letting the adults take care of it."

Surreal heard the bitterness in the young girl's voice, bitterness that was all the more surprising because it was from Sabrina's daughter.

Surreal gave her a hard look, one to which the other girl only shrugged in response. "She's our Queen and our sister and yet we're supposed to sit around and do nothing and wait for reports from the _adults_."

"This isn't sitting well with any of us, Surreal," Mairaed, the daughter of the centaurs, Astar and Sceron. "Not having Kaetien and Jaera with us is wrong and not being allowed to help do anything about it makes it even worse."

Surreal looked around with a faint frown. "Where are all of your boyos?"

"Sleeping, if they have any common sense," Zytan said. "Out in the practice ring again if they don't."

"They're out beating on each other with sticks," Muirrenn said. "Edan was headed out there to join them." She looked at Surreal. "Them beating on each other to deal with this won't last much longer. Daemonar and Kaevidar are almost at the end of their tempers and their restraint."

"Nor will us sitting in a room having tea or pretending to be working on Craft or silly games while our Queen and our sister are out there, missing, and in who knows what condition." Sindri said with a hint of warning in her tone.

In fact, it was because the younger coven respected Titian's mother that she was getting the warning from them at all. Something was going to happen and they were going to act on their own merits soon -- whether their parents wanted them to or not. The younger Coven had played by their parents' rules and they had done their best to keep their boyos hobbled, but that was about to end. It was past time that they dealt with this according to their own unwritten rules about taking care of each other. Kaetien wasn't here to command them to stand down, and as much as they loved and respected their elders, they all had come to realize that their first loyalty was to their chosen Queen and the rest of the unofficial First Circle.

Titian looked around at her sisters and then looked at her mother. "If it was Jaenelle, mother, what would you do?" That was as close as Titian could get to begging her mother not to make her have to choose between her love and respect for her and her loyalty to her sisters.

 

***

 

There was something off about the throne room when they all filed in to answer Jaenelle's summons, but Saetan was hard pressed to put his finger on what it was. He could tell that his sons realized it, too, but it was Daemon's reaction that had Saetan more than a little concerned. He was not there as Consort or husband tonight. He was there, once again, as the Queen's Weapon.

The quick look he gave Lucivar was enough to know that Lucivar had noticed the change in Daemon as well. Well, that didn't make him feel any better because it was also obvious that Lucivar had no idea what was going on with his brother.

The one person that did know was sitting calmly on her throne, with the witches -- kindred and human -- of her court and first circle surrounding her. There were also a few faces there that he didn't recognize, and a few that he did. He nodded to Lady Cassidy and the Healer, Shira and continued making note of who had arrived and who had not.

It was then that the realization struck him. He looked again to make sure, but he hadn't been mistaken.

 _Not one of the children were here._

They should have been here. Jaenelle's orders had been very clear. Everyone was to report to the throne room so that they could act on the information that they had gathered about the missing girls.

"Cat?" Lucivar demanded, being the first to step out onto the battle field that this meeting could become. "What's going on?"

At Lucivar's subtle challenge, Daemon had separated himself from the rest of the men and made his way to stand at Jaenelle's back. The rest of the boyos and the other gathered males recognized that gesture, and they looked to Saetan to see how he was going to handle this.

"Lady?" Saetan asked respectfully. "We've come as you bid, but some of us are a bit confused. There seems to be a few people missing."

"Missing, High Lord?" Jaenelle's voice was calm and her hand drifted up to lay a soothing touch on Daemon's hand. "There is no one missing. Everyone is where they are supposed to be right now."

Chaosti looked at his wife who didn't seem concerned at all. "The _children_ , Jaenelle. Where are the children?"

Jaenelle nodded at Karla and Gabrielle. After a brief discussion between the three Black Widows on a private thread, it was Gabrielle who finally spoke up.

"The children have all gone to do what they are meant to do," Gabrielle said, looking at Chaosti as she spoke. "This is their battle, not ours.'

"But they are only children," someone said. "They don't have what they need for this kind of battle. It's going to get bad and some of them could even start to ride the killing edge with no idea of how to take those steps back. What makes any of you think that this was an ideal solution?"

It was obvious that some of of the parents -- no, Saetan corrected himself, it was only the fathers that were uncomfortable and feeling at a loss about what was happening. The women looked, well, if not serene then they looked incredibly determined about something. The Queen's Weapon wasn't just there for Jaenelle. His son was there to act as a shield for all of the ladies.

"A web was woven," Jaenelle said in her midnight voice. "A web was woven that not even Witch could ignore. When told of what was woven and allowed to see parts of it, the coven, the circle, and the families that had females here at this time agreed. We are to stay out of this fight. We will not cross that line and allow those witches and boyos to believe that we feel they are insufficient to take care of their own. Make no mistake, Kaetien is every much theirs as all of you say that I am yours. Over the years as they have grown, they have picked their paths and they have shown loyalty to the one that calls to them." She stood up and looked at all of the boyos and her brother and father. "Would any of you have done any less had it been me or Karla, or any of the other ladies in the coven when we were all that age?" She walked back and forth in front of them as she spoke. "Children? Yes, in many ways they are still our children and have a great deal to learn. However, you forget what else our children are. They are Warlords and Witches, Princes and Queens. They are warriors and ladies and men and Black Widows. These things and more are what our children have become and it is up to us to make sure they have the strong supports and foundations. There is so much that they have learned by just watching us and now they want to show that they have learned even more."

"Can they handle this, Cat?" He trusted her, but that was his daughter and son out there.

It was Daemon who looked across the room to meet Lucivar's eyes. "He wears her leash, Prick. Flat out told me did. Remember when we thought Jaenelle was lost and not coming back? That's how your son is feeling right now. You know that ache, that worry." His eyes scanned every male in the room. "We all do -- and we all know what we have to do when the ache and the worry gets so bad that we can't do anything but taste it in whatever we do. Daemonar wears Kaetien's leash. We all know what it means when a Warlord or Warlord Prince has made that declaration about a Queen. We could have stood in their way of doing this, and they might have gotten hurt and we might have ended up with a lot of resentment on our heads because of it."

"Prince Daemon is right," Karla said. "And right now, even thought I love you boyos and trust you with my life and safety, the thing is, that right now, those boys and girls out there are the ones I'm trusting to bring my daughter and my niece back home safe and sound."

"Who wove the web, Lady?" Khardeen asked, tilting his head.

 _*I did,*_ A voice said in the minds of all of them. That was when they noticed the large golden spider that was sitting on Jaenelle's shoulder. The Weaver of Dreams. The Arachnian Queen. _*I saw all of the paths in the web. Only one of them brings Askasi's heart back to it.*_

There were several long moments of quiet when Chaosti noticed someone else that was missing from this meeting of the parents.

"Where are Surreal and Rainier?"

At this, the witches that made up Jaenelle's coven all smiled that same frightening smile that they sometimes got.

"They went hunting," Gabrielle said, her eyes dancing.

"Hunting for what?" Lucivar asked, warily. "Hunting _where_ , Cat?"

"Terreille. Graysfang took them."

And that? Would officially be when every man in the room had the simultaneous urge to whimper. Thankfully, they all leashed it.

"Well, then..." Khardeen said, not sure what else to say but feeling the need to say something. "I suppose that's that for now, until..." He looked at the ladies in the room carefully. "Until our children send us word."

"Until we figure out where they're _not_ telling us they're at, you mean." This was from Morghann, who was smiling a thoughtful smile.

She was greeted with a roomful of confused -- mostly male -- faces.

"They'll tell us where they are," Morghann explained. "They wouldn't dare not send at least some word of it. But they'll tell us when they're actually a couple villages past it."

"Enough that we'll feel secure, but also enough that they'll feel free enough to continue their mission," Karla said, her voice low and quiet. "It makes sense... in a way..."

A way that only a few of them understood, apparently.

 

***

 

Such a large group of people would be conspicuous under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances and these were not normal people. They had their Jewels and all the little tips and tricks they'd learned from their parents. It was Della and Daemonar who had broken them all into smaller groups to pass through the villages and forests that they would be searching. They both agreed that it would make them less conspicuous, and it would make sure that if one group got detained, the rest of them could slip the net. When everyone else was set into their groups, Della looked at Daemonar.

* _I want you with me and the cats, Prince,_ * she said on a closed thread meant only for him.

* _Why?_ *

* _Because if my sister or Kaetien have been hurt, it is us that should be the first ones to their aid -- and to finish what they may have started._ * She looked up at Daemonar. * _Have you thought about what kind of scene we may walk into, because I have. They could be seriously hurt and getting ready to be broken, or Kaetien and Jaera could have started taken their price for a fallen sister._ *

* _But there's no one hurt -- unless they are, and there will be nothing left of those men if they are hurt._ *

* _Except for the promise that you made that we would leave enough of them left to hand over to the High Lord and Uncle Daemon._ * She pulled her hair back into a braid so that it wouldn't get in here way when the time for the fighting came. * _And you forget, my brother, Kaetien and Jaera have no way of knowing that Caelan was not killed. If for some reason they come to believe that, your Queen will go into a cold rage and use all of her birthright power to punish those men. I don't think that even my sister would try to hold her back. They should not be forced to kill like that._ *

In all of his drive to get to the missing girls, he hadn't considered that they could be found in a bad state for more than one reason. He wasn't going to find her and rescue her, only to find that she was broken inside because she had killed someone for the wrong reasons. Of course, if they tried to do too much to the girls, Kaetien and Jaera would do whatever they had to do to stop worse things from happening to them. It would be well within their rights and blood law to kill the men that had kidnapped them, but Daemonar didn't know what having to kill someone at this age would do to his Queen.

* _There's something that I would like you to do, Prince._ * Daemonar raised a brow and looked at her. * _When we get further away from the others, I want you to start trying to use your Red to call out to Kaetien. Only she would be able to hear you and it might help us find them -- and help them know that help is close at hand._ *

Daemonar nodded. * _That is a well-thought out plan, Della. Almost like an Eyrien._ *

* _Eyrien or Arcerian. I learned both from Uncle Lucivar and Papa Kaelas. Darron has been helpful, too._ *

"Let's split up and get going," Daemonar commanded the small army that Coven and the Boyos made up. "We have two Queens to find."

 

***

 

The escape was almost perfect. In any normal situation, the plans that the two young Black Widows made would have gone off without a hitch. However, this was not a normal situation and the two young ladies in charge were tired and hadn't a lot of food or rest in the last few days. With all of the other things they had laid out for their captors, their escape plans had suffered for it.

That would be why the two witches were trapped in the cave that they had run to. Their escape had been noticed quicker than they expected and they had run into the first cave they could get to before their sight shields faded. They had layered red and sapphire shields at the opening of the cave and were trying to come up with an escape plan as they watched their shields shudder from the bolts of power the men outside were throwing at them.

Finally, Kaetien looked at her best friend with determination in her eyes. "You have to go."

"What?" Jaera's voice was chilly.

"I can get you out of here, but we can't both go. One of us has to hold the shield."

"Then you need to go and I'll hold the shield."

"When the sun shines in hell, Jaera," Kaetien said, sounding like her mother. "I can shield you and get you past them, I have the Red. When you get past them, you grab the first wind you can get and go to the Keep." She closed her eyes, tilting her head for a moment. "Or you start calling on Sapphire threads to anyone you can reach. I don't give a damn how you do it, but you are leaving here." She pushed her hair back. "I can hold the shield until you return, and if I can't, well, there are sticks in here I can use as weapons. If they break my shield, they will have exhausted their power, too. You know that they're not as strong and they aren't taking rests between blasts."

"Kaetien, I can't leave you alone! I won't leave you alone. Don't make me do this."

"Jaera, Sister, I'm the only one that can hold out until help gets here, you know this! You can get out of here and get help." She bit her lip. "You're my friend and Sister. Do this because I'm asking you to and because it's the right choice. Don't make me use the words."

Kaetien had never given an order to any of the Coven or the boyos as a Queen. Wheedled, snarked, badgered, complained, and demanded, yes. But she had never issued anything as a command from their Queen. However, to make sure that Jaera survived this and got to safety, she would do it. She would go from Sister and friend to Queen in order to save her.

"Fine," Jaera said shortly, still not at _all_ happy about it. "But just so you know, I'm really, really not happy about this."

"I know," Kaetien said with a slight nod. "You can snark at me about it later, I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." And with those last words, Jaera was on the move.

Taking a shaky breath, Kaetien wrapped Jaera in a Red shield, then a sight shield, tied them into Jaera's power so she could release them when she wanted, and dropped the shields on the cave just long enough for Jaera to slip through. Once her Sister had done so, back up went the shields.

And now she waited.

 

***

 

Jaera's first intent had been to grab a wind and go back to the Keep, but she'd felt the presence of others in the area almost immediately. Others besides her captors. And so she found a safe spot -- up a tree, but never mind that -- before concentrating so she could figure out who they were.

To her surprise, she could identify the psychic scents. And the fact that there were psychic scents meant that not only had people she known been there, but that they were still close by. Had time passed, the psychic scents would have been gone with their owners. That they were still present meant that the owners were close enough for her to catch something.

And that would be when a sight shield not Jaera's own dropped, revealing Titian in the branches above Jaera.

"Mother Night!" Jaera yelped, the shields inadvertently falling due to shock.

"Hello to you, too, sugar," Titian said dryly. _*Tranos, Edan, Muirrenn, I've got Jaera.*_ She tilted her head, assessing Jaera critically. _*Physically, she seems fine.*_ Bumps and bruises and cuts and scrapes, yeah, but those came with being in the Coven. With everything they got up to, there was never a day where someone didn't have some kind of injury. She could be healed once they found Kaetien and got the girls back to the Keep.

 

***

 

Kaetien knew that Jaera had not been happy with her over the decision she had made, but there had been no choice. There had been no reason that both of then should stay to get hurt, and so she had shielded her best friend and let her through the shield she was holding over the cave entrance. She was glad that Jaera hadn't argued much with her because she had been having a hard time not showing how much she had already drained her Jewel. The men attacking the shields were extremely angry and they were throwing everything the had within them into the shields. Yes, she wore the Red, but she hadn't had a decent meal in a few days and not nearly enough to drink since she and Jaera had been kidnapped. It was obvious that no one had told these kidnappers any of the finer points of caring for darker jeweled witches. The men were too angry to consider getting them to Terrielle now. They were at that stage of male anger where they wanted to destroy -- and now Kaetien was their only target.

Not that they realized that yet.

She looked around her in the cave and found two sticks that felt almost the same weight. The shield was near to breaking down, but they weren't going to find a helpless witch waiting for them. She had been trained by her Uncle Lucivar to fight. No one was better at teaching someone to fight than an Eyrien Warlord Prince.

Kaetien was tired and she was scared, but she was also angry and that was the emotion that was going to fuel this fight. She had no doubt that Jaera would find someone to help before she even got close to the keep. Their Coven and Boyos would have only waited so long before they started hunting for them on their own. She just hoped Jaera made it to them safely and brought them back here in time.

She moved to the back of the cave, making sure that she would have stone at her back and the men wouldn't have a lot of room to manuever. She wanted to make the fight as difficult on them as she could. It was the closest she could get now to revenge for what they had done to her and Jaera. As she struggled to hold up the shield, she turned the sticks in her hands. Oh yes. These would work almost as well as the double sticks Daemonar had started working with her on.

 _Daemonar. His name sliced into her heart. Was she even going to see him again? Would Jaera get him and the others back here in time?_

As the final blasts of power shattered her shield, Kaetien had to bite down the cry of pain that it caused her. She closed her eyes for a moment to get past the pain and past the exhaustion to focus herself. When she heard the first man enter the cave, she opened her eyes and bared her teeth. Twirling the sticks lightly on her hands, she watched them come.

 _*You want to mess with a witch?*_ She sent out on an open thread, not caring who might hear it. _*Come and get me and remember to say hello to my Grandfather when you get to Hell!*_

Cursing her, the first one came at her only to find his head bashed in with one of the sticks she was now using as weapons. He went down with a cry. His companions didn't bother with a one on one approach.

"The bitch is tired and she's female. Those sticks are heavy. She can't take all of us."

Kaetien shook her head when she heard that. She wasn't about to make taking her down easy for them, so she ignored her tired mind and body and gave herself over to the fight for survival.

 

***

 

Jaera was doing her best not to start shaking as she came down from the tree. Muirrenn had used Craft to float her down, but that just meant that Jaera was fully free to shake. She held it in, though, until she was firmly on the ground. "We have to get back to Kaetien," she said, her voice full of desperation. "I don't know how much time she's got left!" Because she was smart enough to know that Kaetien hadn't actually been as strong as she'd been pretending to be. She'd had faith in Kaetien and her ability to defend herself, though, or she would have never left the cave, Kaetien's wishes and Protocol be damned.

"Lead the way," Tranos said, even as he stepped forward to stand at Jaera's side. He could have slipped past the first layer of her mental shields and seen her memory of the place where Kaetien was, but only with Jaera's permission. And that was something he wasn't going to ask for. Not now, when she was so clearly trying to keep herself together. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to walk right beside her, though, just in case she needed him.

And frankly, it was his right to hover just a little, even now.

 _*Do we want to alert the others?*_ Muirrenn asked, looking from side to side as their small group began to walk, with Jaera in the lead. _*Or do we want to wait?*_

Daemonar would hardly be pleased that they hadn't informed him of his Queen's having been found, but they could deal with that. What they couldn't necessarily deal with was the inevitable anger if they waited _too_ long to notify him.

 _*We wait just long enough to ascertain whether or not Kaetien is still there and what kind of condition she's in,*_ Edan decided after a moment. _*Once we have seen her for ourselves, we contact the others.*_

 

***

 

They arrived at the cave, only to find the shields down and the men inside, fighting Kaetien. As much as they wanted to rush in and jump to her aid, the wrong move could mean her end. And there was the matter of what Daemonar would say if they did something stupid.

Jaera and Kaetien had managed to figure out during their captivity that the men's Jewels were weaker than the girls' Birthright Jewels, which meant that it would be easy for any of the five to take them out with a simple blast of power. But there were certain rights that Daemonar held as Kaetien's... well, they all knew he'd be her Consort someday. Her Consort and, darkness willing, much more than that.

So with the four members of the rescue party behind her for support, it was Jaera who strode forwards into the cave first. Because while Daemonar had certain rights, so did Jaera. As one of the captives, Jaera was well within her own rights to take whatever measure of revenge she could that would not interfere with whatever it was that Daemonar would do.

Solution? Two short, sharp blasts of Sapphire power to each man's mind, bringing him down quickly and putting him far enough under that he would not wake on his own. At least, not in time to avoid being greeted by an Eyrien Warlord Prince riding the killing edge.

Tranos and Edan set about securing the men, while Muirrenn and Titian rushed to Kaetien's side.

"You've pushed yourself too much," Titian said, reading her Sister easily. There was no argument in her voice, no judgment or condemnation. Just a simple statement of fact as she assessed the other girl. "Not enough to drain the Red and certainly not enough to shatter it, but... it will take you a good while to regain your strength and power."

"Jaera got to safety, though. She got help. So it was worth it."

And with those words, Kaetien collapsed.

It was a good thing that Tranos had quick reflexes, because as he moved to catch Kaetien, the cave was suddenly filled with the coldness of rage as first Daemonar and then three Arcerian cats entered. It wasn't the pounds and pounds of feline temper that caused all of them to stay still. It was the glazed look that was in the eyes of the Eyrien Warlord Prince as he looked at where Kaetien was being held by his Brother.

"She's alive," Muirrenn said soothingly as Titian nodded. "She's just at the end of her reserves." His eyes moved from them to where Edan was standing with Jaera's hand on his arm.

"Neither of them have been seriously harmed," Edan said quietly as Della moved around the cats to get to her younger sister.

Daemonar's eyes moved to where the six unconscious men had fallen.

 _*Meat?*_ Kaevidar rumbled as he looked at the men that had the scent from the place where his lady was attacked.

 _*Not for you,*_ Kaelas corrected his son, then turned his head to Daemonar. _*The High Lord and The Lady. Those men go to The Lady. They stole her cubs.*_

"Mine," Daemonar growled as he looked from Kaelas and his sons back to the men on the ground.

"Brother," Tirian said in soothing tones as the rest of Kaetien's circle had shown up shortly after his arrival. "The High Lord and The Queens will want these men. These men attacked their daughters and Jaenelle's Coven has the first hand at an attack such as this."

The stand-off between Daemonar and the others had the potential to become an explosive situation, until a small voice spoke up. When the girls in the Coven realized who was speaking in that kind of wounded voice, they had to look at anything but each other.

"Not that one," Jaera said, trying her best to sound fragile and in need of protection in order to divert Daemonar's rage from his brothers. "That one told Kaetien that he was going to have us broken once we got into Terrielle. Kaetien was afraid of him."

Jaera would apologize later for all of the extra fussing and petting that the statement was going to get Kaetien. Right now, she just wanted everyone to get home without the wrong blood being shed. Then again, as she watched Daemonar gently take Kaetien and she had a chance to look at how pale her friend was, maybe she wouldn't apologize. Kaetien had sent her to safety knowing that she might be sacrificing herself in order to do it.

"What happened to them?" Mordan asked, since his group had been the last to arrive.

"Jaera knocked them out," Titian said quietly. "They're alive, but they were attacking Kaetien so..."

The air around them started getting cold again.

" _Attacking Kaetien?_ " Daemonar said in a voice that was too calm.

Tranos carefully picked Jaera up into his arms and when she tried to protest he shook his head, glaring down at her. _*Daemonar is close to losing his hold on his temper. Let him see that you're safe and being taken care of so we can get back home before he starts painting the walls.*_ The thread was locked to the two of them, but there was no doubt in Jaera's mind that he was right.

When Daemonar's glazed eyes moved over her, Jaera moved her head to lay it against Tranos' chest. "Caelan. How is Caelan?" She asked quietly. "We were too far away when we woke up and we..." Her smile widened as she saw Caelan step from behind Kavan. That answered that question.

"Bring them," Della said, gesturing to the unconscious men. "We'll take them to Aunt Jaenelle and Mama."

"Not that one," Daemonar hissed, looking at the one that Jaera had brought to his attention. "He's mine. It's my right."

None of them were going to try arguing with a Warlord Prince that close to the Killing edge. They'd get everyone back to the Keep and then they could work things out from there. Daemonar wasn't the only one that wanted to punish these men for kidnapping and abusing their sisters.

When at last all of them had exited the cave, a roar of witchfire filled it, purifying everything that was left behind. Kavan stopped and looked at his sister, but Sindri only gave him a sweet smile and continued towards where they could catch the winds and get back to the Keep.

There would be repercussions and payback and outright revenge, but those were things for another time. Now was a time for simply getting the girls home and rejoicing in their safety. Because as long as they had the girls, everything else would fall into place.

It always did.


End file.
